Photo credit: www.yahoo.com
SpaceX Crew Capsule Delivers Replacement Astronauts to the International Space Station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX crew capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, a little over a day after its launch. This capsule brought essential replacements for NASA’s two astronauts who found themselves in a prolonged stay aboard the station.
The new crew, comprised of four members representing the United States, Japan, and Russia, will spend several days familiarizing themselves with the workings of the ISS, guided by veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Subsequently, Wilmore and Williams will prepare to return home in their own SpaceX capsule, which has been stationed at the ISS since last year, concluding an unexpected mission extension that began last June.
Initially, Wilmore and Williams anticipated a brief one-week stay when they launched on Boeing’s first crewed flight, but they recently marked their nine-month milestone aboard the ISS.
The delay in their return is attributed to complications experienced by the Boeing Starliner capsule, which encountered numerous issues that led NASA to order its return without crew. As a result, the astronauts were forced to wait for a SpaceX mission to take them home.
Their replacement spacecraft arrived in late September, but logistical challenges persisted, including extensive repairs needed for the new capsule’s battery system. Instead, an older SpaceX capsule was utilized, which has adjusted their return timeline to mid-March.
Weather permitting, the capsule transporting Wilmore, Williams, and their two colleagues will detach from the ISS no earlier than Wednesday and is scheduled to return to Earth, splashing down off the coast of Florida.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives backing from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP maintains full responsibility for the content presented.
Source
www.yahoo.com